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What Does Bony Transfer Mean For Manchester City?

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What does the imminent signing of Wilfried Bony to Manchester City mean for the Citizens?

A fee has been agreed for Bony, who has scored 9 goals this season. Image: Nigerian Observer News

Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City are on the verge of further bolstering their stacked squad as they close in on Swansea's Wilfried Bony. With a lot at stake as they charge for the title, what effect will this transfer have on both the player and the squad?

Manchester City and Swansea reportedly agreed a fee of around £28 million, according toMark Ogdenof The Telegraph, on Sunday morning.Both clubs expect the deal to be wrapped up in around 48 hours, while the Ivorian striker is currently on duty for his nation, playing in the African Cup of Nations.Scoring 9 goals so far in the season providing the searing force between the Swans' bright-start, the Manchester contingent were pursuing him from the early beginnings of the January transfer window.One must, however, question: where does he fit in? With the reigning Premier League titleholders possessing an overwhelming back-log of talent, what role does he play, and what does this mean for other strikers?Over the frantic Christmas football schedule, one of the most prominent lessons learned about the Citizens was their desire for a striker. At times, James Milner was playing in a "False-9", with Edin Džeko and Stevan Jovetic were nowhere to be seen. While the latter was able to ignite a few moments of class, especially against Sunderland, the void that Aguero left with injury and the uncertainty of a re-occurrence forced City's hand. Following their 1-1 draw with Everton of which the Argentine featured on the bench, Manuel Pellegrini pointed out the lack of conviction in front of goal as one of their biggest challenges to overcome. We know all too well that, as one of the best strikers on the planet, Sergio Aguero will inject the cutting-edge that has been missing since he limped off from their first fixture of the season at home to the Toffees. Considering that the factor is almost a given, where does Wilfried Bony stand in this situation?Edin Džeko has not been immersed in as much playing time as he hoped, despite a positive start to the season. Yes, his injury is a big reason for that, but also, City's reluctance to hardly play two up-front is another.Considering that they're spending £28m, surely it must. Even for the likes of Manchester City's financial superiority, that's quite a hefty fee to pay for insurance.Still though, it's baffling but still possible. Bony could just be the guy that fills in for when Aguero is not needed.

Locking down the African will surely make for some out-goings in the January transfer window. Edin Džeko for one surely must be considering an exit, knowing he'll have to compete with Jovetic and Bony, that's if they're playing two up-front.Could this in anyway impact Sergio Aguero? Potentially, since his injury-prone tendencies are uncomfortable for anyone affiliated with the club. Resting him more and transferring that work-load onto the able shoulders of Bony is an asset that could define the Premier League title race.Time will be of the essence for the imminent signing. With talent queueing up to challenge him for a spot, a price tag can only go so far. It's going to require quick adaptation, but with such better surface at the Etihad, it should be a great fit.The only thing that really remains stable here is the back-five. Joe Hart is a lock, the back-four can sometimes rotate but they won't be affected. However, the future of the rest is uncertain. Will players like Jesus Navas be cancelled out by a diamond-formation with two-strikers? Or will Dzeko be forced out?A signing like this will also question and determine the long-term credibility of Wilfried Bony himself. We've seen him prove prolific at Swansea, but stepping up to play for the English champions remains a tall order. There are higher demands now, much higher.Considering that he'll be coming off the African Cup of Nations campaign also, patience could already be wearing off by then.